Apparatus responsive to the viscosity of fluid material



Dec. 23, 1941. v. v. VEENSCHOTEN 2,267,317

APPARATUS RESPONSIVE TO THE VIS COSITY OF FLUID MATERIAL Filed Sept. 5,1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f76. 2. 2; W 46 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 23, 1941. v. v. VEENSCHOTEN 2,267,317

APPARATUS RESPONSIVE To THE VISCOSITY OF FLUID MATERIAL Filed Sept. 5,1936 2 Sheets-Shet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Q ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS arsronsrvn'ro rm: VISCOS- rrv or rwm MATERIAL Vincent V. Veenschoten, Erie, .Pa.,assignor to Northern Equipment Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application September 3, 1936, Serial No. 99,262

4 Claims.

In some industries, such as paper making, it

is important to control the consistency or peris important to controlconsistency or percentage of fiber in the mixture of fiber and water. Itis common to move the stock through a conduit and to vary the water soas to maintain the amount of water flowing with relation to the fibrousmaterial. Such flowing stock, however, varies very materially atdifferent levels. It is important, therefore, in controlling theconsistency of the entire flow of material that the average viscositythroughout all the levels be considered in obtaining a proper controlfor the entire mass flowing. In obtaining this response to" of peculiarvalue in that they free themselves from or do not accumulate the fibrousmaterial so as to change the response of the discs andtheresistance tomovement of the discs through the material and consequently the responseto such resistance in maintaining control. With such an apparatus a veryaccurate control may be accomplished.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, as follows:

Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the "apparatus partly in section.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 an enlarged view of the motor for actuating the controllingmeans.

I marks the container for the fluid material. 2 indicates the fluidmaterial which is normally maintained at level A-A. The apparatus ismounted on a frame having side bars 3 and cross members i and 5. Theframe is supported on cross-members 6 secured to the sidemembers 3 andto the sides of the container I. A modifying supply of liquid isprovided in the pipe I. A control valve 8 is arranged in this Pipe, thevalve being of the common cylindrical balanced valve type. A fitting 9is secured to the lower end of the valve and to the cross member 5. Apipe I ll extends from the fitting 9 into the container I,

the lower end of the pipe being supplied with per-. e forations II fordelivering modifying fluid to the fluid material in thecontainer, themodifying fluid being, in most cases, water. The valve 8 has a flangeextension I2 on which a frame plate I3 is secured. Frame rods extendfrom the plate I3 and are secured to and support a motor cylinder I5.The motor cylinder is provided with a piston I6, and piston rodIlextends from the piston through'a gland I8, 'andis secured to a head"a. .A stem I'Ibextends from the head I'Ia .A valve 22 has controllingmembers 23--23,'one

for each port, these members being rigidly connected, and is providedwith. a valve stem 24. Liquid under pressure is delivered from anyconvenient source to the valve chest through a port 25, and the chest isprovided with exhaust ports 26, one at each end. With this valvemechanism it will be noted that when the valve is on center, both ports20 are closed. Consequently the piston is looked through the closure ofthe ports in its then adjustable position. With the valve moved in onedirection or the other, liquid is exhausted' from one end of the pistonand admitted to theopposite end of the piston so as to move the pistonuntil the valve is closed.

' A lever 21 extends through the head Ho and is pivoted thereon by a pin28. The lever'z'l is pivotally connected by a pin 29 with the valve rod24. The upper end of the lever is connected by strap 30 with a pulley3I.- The pulley 3I is fixed with a field ring 32 of a motor 33. The ringis journaled on the rotor shaft 34 of the motor and the rotor shaft 34is rigidly mounted in a,

stem 35. The stem 35 is journaled in ball bearings 38. 31 secured to abase plate 4. The stem 35 has an extension '38 which extends down intothe container I and into the material 2.

A series of discs 39 are arranged .on the extension 38 and separated bydistance spacing sleeves These discs- I ball bearing 36. The wholeassembly is clamped up by a 'nut 42, at the lower end of the extension538. Conduit fittings 43 are mounted on the The ball bearings aremounted in a post" range there is quite a wide divergence.

frame and wires 44 for the motor are carried through the fittings and tothe motor.

The pull of the field ring communicated through the strap '30 to thelever 21 is resisted by weighted lever 45 of fork form, the sides of thelever being pivoted by pins 46 at the sides of the cylinder. The upperend of the lever 45 is connected by a link 41 to the lever 21. A weightarm- 48 extends on an angle from the lever 45. A weight 49 is adjustablymounted by set screws 49a on the lower end of the lever 45, and a weight50 is adjustably secured by set screws 50a on the arm 48.

The motor is designed to run at a constant speed. The frictionalresistance of the discs on the material varies with its viscosity.v Thereaction pull of the field ring to this resistance is communicatedthrough the strap '30 to the lever 21. This pull is balanced by theweights on the lever 45. The build-up of effective action of the weightsmay be varied through their adjustment. The movement is steadied by theinertia mass 5|.

As the lever 21 is operated in response to changes in the resistance tomovement incident to the frictional engagement of the discs with thematerial, it moves-the valve 22 to admit liquid to one side or the otherof the piston, depending upon the variation in. resistance, and socloses or opens the valve 8 to reduce or increase the inflow ofmodifying liquid necessary to maintain a constant consistency of thefluid'-material. As the piston moves inresponse to the opening of thevalve it carries the head "a with it and this moves the lever 21 so asto move the valve back to its central position. This combined movementfinds a position of the piston and consequently the valve to supply theproper I amount of modifying consistencies. The pull reaction of thefield will balance the weight setting on the lever 45 only when theconsistency is such as to createa. reaction pull by the field that willbalance the weight setting of the lever at the neutral position. 7

It will be understood that where the invention is used' with relation toliquids for paper making consistency is an ultimate object. Thefrictional action on the discs varies in substantially direct ratio tothe viscosity of the liquid. Through certain portions of the range thevariation of the consistencyand viscosity is almost identical whereasthrough other portions of the Inasmuch as friction varies'directlyastheviscosity and the viscosity and consistency do not follow exactlythe same curve it is desirable to have the weight which isopposedto thefrictional torque resistance adjustable. so that it may be made tofollow in its variation in resistance the consistency curve. This beingso the liquid will be varied according to this control to maintain aviscosity which will correspondto the consistment to diiferent relationsto the pivotal center it is possible to,feffect a curve of resistance tomovement by the weights corresponding very closely to the consistencycurve incident to variations in the consistency of the material.

being substantially parallel to the direction of movement of theelements making the wiping friction between the material and theelements the major factor in resistance to the movement of the elements,said elements operating at different portions of the material atdifferent levels and being distributed through said levels of the liquidto reflect the average viscosity of the flowing material; and mechanismresponding to the frictional pull of the liquid material on the contactsurfaces of the elements and through such response reflecting theaverage condition of the material.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aconduit for conveying a liquid material; a plurality of moving elementsin the path of the material presenting only contact surfaces to thematerial parallel to the direction of movement of the elements andresponding substantially to the wiping friction between the material andthe elements alone in resistance to movement of the elements, saidelements operating at different portions of the material at differentlevels and being distributed through said levels of the liquid toreflect the average viscosity of the flowing material; and

mechanism responding to the pull of the liquid material on the elementsand through such response reflecting the condition of the material.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aconduit for conveying a liquid material; a plurality of rotatingelements in the path of the materialpresenting only frictional contactsurfaces to the material, said surfaces conforming substantially to thesurface of revolution on the axis of rotation, making the wipingfriction between the material and the elements the major factor inresistance to the movement of the elements, said elements operating atdifferent portions of the materialat different levels and beingdistributed through said levels of the liquid to reflect the averageviscosity of the flowing material; and mechanism responding to thefrictional pull of the liquid material operating at diiferent portionsof the material at different levels and being distributed throughsaidlevels of the liquid to reflect the average viscosity of the flowingmaterial; and mechanism responding to-the frictional pull of the liquidmaterial on the contact surfaces of the discs and through such responsereflecting the condition of the material.

VINCENT v. VEENSCH'OTEN.

